Effective Ventures Lists Historic Oxfordshire Mansion for Sale

The organization linked to FTX, Effective Ventures, has put the iconic British property Wytham Abbey on the market for £15 million ($18.75 million), according to Bloomberg.

Better known as the “Oxford Castle of Effective Altruism,” the 27,000-square-foot estate boasts 27 bedrooms and 18 bathrooms, situated on 23 acres of land three miles west of Oxford.

Alongside Buckingham Palace, the mansion is listed as a historic heritage site in the UK. Built over 500 years ago, Wytham Abbey was once owned by aristocratic families and later by Oxford University. It has hosted notable figures such as Elizabeth I, Oliver Cromwell, and Queen Victoria.

In April 2022, Effective Ventures acquired the mansion for £14.9 million ($18.6 million) through grants from Open Philanthropy and the FTX Foundation, associated with former FTX head Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF). The organization used Wytham Abbey as a venue for summits and conferences discussing existential threats like AI.

During the platform’s bankruptcy proceedings, Effective Ventures reached a settlement with the new management, returning $26.8 million received from the FTX Foundation.

According to Bloomberg, the “Oxford Castle of Effective Altruism” is now listed for sale at £15 million, with its inflation-adjusted price at £16.2 million.

On May 8, FTX proposed a new compensation plan, under which 98% of creditors would receive at least 118% of their claims within 60 days of court approval.

Back in July 2023, ForkLog reported that SBF’s younger brother, Gabriel, planned to use client funds from the platform to purchase the state of Nauru.

The goal was to transform the island into a post-apocalyptic refuge for believers in effective altruism.